Publisher's Description

A corrupt judge in a mob murder case. A disillusioned pastor, hungry for power. A cynical reporter, sniffing for a scandal. A gambling addict whose secret tape threatens the lives of everyone who hears it. New York Times bestselling author, Lee Strobel, weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set in a gleaming, suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The unexpected climax is as gripping as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.

Author Bio

Lee Strobel was the award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and is the best-selling author of The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, and The Case for a Creator, all of which have been made into documentaries by Lionsgate. With a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale, Lee wrote 3 Gold Medallion winners and the 2005 Book of the Year with Gary Poole. He and his wife live in Colorado. Visit Lee's website at: www.leestrobel.com.

Publisher's Weekly

Bestselling nonfiction writer Strobel (The Case for Christ) makes his fiction debut with a legal thriller that draws on his background in legal journalism. In Chicago, which specializes in deep-dish corruption, the mobster Bugatti brothers want a murder case steered to the right judge, so they send a payoff to Judge Reese McKelvie. McKelvie is a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat vacated as a result of corruption; his rival is pastor Eric Snow, who heads a suburban megachurch and who has developed political ambition. One member of Snow's congregation is Gina D'Orazio, girlfriend of investigative reporter Garry Strider. When Gina's faith prompts her to move out of Strider's apartment, the cynical Strider takes Snow's megachurch as his next investigative target. The much published author writes with great confidence and plots like a screenwriter. The book's ending has a rushed feel, as if some major developments are dropped rather than resolved. On the whole, however, Strobel succeeds in his new direction; his nonfiction fans will certainly want to check this out. (May) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.

Having my adult children live in Chicago and my brother's family residing in Rolling Meadows, I purchased this book simply to read fiction based in this geographical area. I read this entire book in two sittings- I found it to be unpredictable and actually a thrill to read. I rarely read novels (maybe 2 a year), prefer biographies and non-fiction, but this book was a pleasant exception. Very well written with good characters placed in believable yet difficult situations. A+, will read any other novels Lee Strobel writes for sure.

The entire reporter angle of the story felt like a re-telling of Lee's journey to faith. Then to have the reporter as an integral part of the story for 95% of the book but not be involved with the books outcome didn't make much sense to me. If I hadn't known anything about Lee Strobel before reading this book I might have given it a higher rating.

I loved this book. Couldn't put it down. Lee Strobel keeps you involved in the story from beginnng to end. Many different aspects involved. Pastors, politics, reporters, corruption. The story line was great and I loved how he pulled all his characters together. Hope to see more novels written by Strobel.

Twists, turns and surprises that make The Ambition a serious page turner! It is raw and gritty in portraying the Chicago mob. Best of all, its believable! From the dynamics of the media to the subtle spiritual slipping away of a pastor, you are left wanting more of the story! I can't wait for the sequel!

For his very first fiction book, this is very good. Easy to see how his journalism background plus the fact he lived in the Chicago area enabled him to put this intriguing story together. We purchased two copies, one for us and one for a family member, who lives out of state, but went to Northwestern Univ. and still loves to come back to Chicago when possible. I read it in 3 days, as it was hard to put down, even though for a gramma I have a fairly busy schedule!